A woman was allegedly murdered by a group of men and her daughter was raped in front of her.

A woman was allegedly murdered by a group of men and her 25-year-old daughter was raped in front of her by one of them in Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh,police said today.

Seven persons have been arrested today in this connection,they said. A group of nine men,some of them armed,knocked the victims’ door on Sunday late night. When the woman and her daughter came out,the men dragged them to a field at the back of their house in Raikera village under Kunkuri police station limits of Jashpur,sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP) Kirtan Rathore said over phone.

Later,one of the accused allegedly raped the 25-year-old daughter in front of her mother and the woman was killed by the men by slitting her throat,the SDOP said.

On hearing their screams,other family members rushed to the spot and informed police. Seven persons Ramlal Lohar (35),Satish (25) (both from Raikera village),Gunjan Kher,Anuranjan Lakra,Suman Kher,Esin Kher and Praphulla Thakur (all aged between 19 to 30 years and residents of Khalijor in Jharkhand) – were nabbed today in this connection,he said.

During interrogation,accused Ramlal admitted that he had planned the crime and hired men for it from Jharkhand,Rathore said. Ramlal claimed that the killed woman was involved in blackmagic practices and it was because of her that he had lost one of his family members and his wife was keeping ill,he said. “Medical examination of the girl has confirmed rape,” the SDOP said. A case has been registered against all the nine accused and efforts are on to nab two others absconding,he said,adding that further probe was on.